Indian locomotive class WDM-2
Encyclopedia
The class WDM-2 is Indian Railways
' workhorse diesel locomotive
. The first units were imported fully built from the American Locomotive Company
(Alco) in 1962. Since 1964, it has been manufactured in India by the Diesel Locomotive Works
(DLW), Varanasi. The model name stands for broad gauge
(W), diesel (D), mixed traffic (M) engine. The WDM-2 is the most common diesel locomotive of Indian Railways.
The WDM-2A is a variant of the original WDM-2. These units have been retro-fitted with air brake
s, in addition to the original vacuum brake
s. The WDM-2B is a more recent locomotive, built with air brakes as original equipment. The WDM-2 locos have a maximum speed of 120 km/h (74.6 mph) , restricted to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) when run long hood forward - the gear ratio is 65:18.
began conversion of its mainline from steam to diesel locomotives. For this conversion General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and the American Locomotive Company
(ALCO) were asked to submit designs for new diesel locomotives. Each company submitted prototypes. Indian Railways designated these prototypes the WDM-4 class and the WDM-2 class respectively. Technologically the General Motors WDM-4 was superior to ALCO's WDM-2, but Indian Railways required a transfer of technology agreement that would allow these locomotives to be manufactured in India. General Motors did not agree to the transfer of technology agreement so the ALCO prototype was selected for production. The first few prototype WDM-2s were imported. After Diesel Locomotive Works
(DLW) completed construction of its factory in Varanasi, production of the locomotives began in India. The first 12 locos were built using kits imported from ALCO in the United States. After that DLW started manufacturing the WDM-2 locomotives from their own components. Since then over 2,800 locomotives have been manufactured and the WDM-2 has become the most popular locomotive in India.
However, even before the arrival of WDM-2 another type of diesel locomotive was imported from ALCO beginning in 1957. This locomotive was classified as WDM-1.
Later a number of modifications were made and a few subclasses were created. This includes WDM-2A, WDM-2B and WDM-3A (formerly WDM-2C).
The WDM-2 is the diesel workhorse of the Indian Railways, being very reliable and rugged.
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
' workhorse diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. The first units were imported fully built from the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
(Alco) in 1962. Since 1964, it has been manufactured in India by the Diesel Locomotive Works
Diesel Locomotive Works
The Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi, India, is a production unit owned by Indian Railways, for which it manufactures diesel-electric locomotives and spare parts.-Company:...
(DLW), Varanasi. The model name stands for broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
(W), diesel (D), mixed traffic (M) engine. The WDM-2 is the most common diesel locomotive of Indian Railways.
The WDM-2A is a variant of the original WDM-2. These units have been retro-fitted with air brake
Air brake (rail)
An air brake is a conveyance braking system actuated by compressed air. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was subsequently organized to manufacture and sell...
s, in addition to the original vacuum brake
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
s. The WDM-2B is a more recent locomotive, built with air brakes as original equipment. The WDM-2 locos have a maximum speed of 120 km/h (74.6 mph) , restricted to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) when run long hood forward - the gear ratio is 65:18.
History
In the early 1960s Indian RailwaysIndian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
began conversion of its mainline from steam to diesel locomotives. For this conversion General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
(ALCO) were asked to submit designs for new diesel locomotives. Each company submitted prototypes. Indian Railways designated these prototypes the WDM-4 class and the WDM-2 class respectively. Technologically the General Motors WDM-4 was superior to ALCO's WDM-2, but Indian Railways required a transfer of technology agreement that would allow these locomotives to be manufactured in India. General Motors did not agree to the transfer of technology agreement so the ALCO prototype was selected for production. The first few prototype WDM-2s were imported. After Diesel Locomotive Works
Diesel Locomotive Works
The Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi, India, is a production unit owned by Indian Railways, for which it manufactures diesel-electric locomotives and spare parts.-Company:...
(DLW) completed construction of its factory in Varanasi, production of the locomotives began in India. The first 12 locos were built using kits imported from ALCO in the United States. After that DLW started manufacturing the WDM-2 locomotives from their own components. Since then over 2,800 locomotives have been manufactured and the WDM-2 has become the most popular locomotive in India.
However, even before the arrival of WDM-2 another type of diesel locomotive was imported from ALCO beginning in 1957. This locomotive was classified as WDM-1.
Later a number of modifications were made and a few subclasses were created. This includes WDM-2A, WDM-2B and WDM-3A (formerly WDM-2C).
The WDM-2 is the diesel workhorse of the Indian Railways, being very reliable and rugged.
Sheds Holding WDM-2
- Tughlakabad (TKD)
- Bhagat Ki Kothi (BGKT)
- Patratu (PTRU)
- Howrah (HWH)
- Katni (KTE)
- Ludhiana (LDH)
- Kharagpur (KGP)
- Maula Ali (MLY)
- Abu Road (ABR)
- Bokaro Steel City (BKSC)
- Lucknow (LKO)
- Malda Town (MLDT)
- Bondamunda (BNDM)
- Gonda (GD)
- Shakurbasti (SSB)
- Mughalsarai (MGS)
- Barddhaman / Burdwan (BWN)
- Raipur (R)
- Vishakapatnam (VSKP)
- Andal (UDL)
- Jamalpur (JMP)
- Guntakal (GTL)
- Gooty (GY)
- Itarsi (ET)
- Golden Rock (GOC)
- Kalyan (KYN)
- Samastipur (SPJ)
- Pune (PUNE)
- Kazipet (KZJ)
- Krishnarajapuram (KJM)
- Izzatnagar (IZN)
- Erode (ED)
- Jhansi (JHS)
- Ratlam (RTM)
- New Guwahati (NGC)
- Ernakulam (ERS)
- Motibagh, Nagpur (MIB)
- Vatva (VTA)
- Vijaywada (BZA)
- Kurla (CLA)
- Agra (AGA)
- Tondiarpet (TNP)
Technical specifications
| Manufacturers | Alco, DLW |
| Engine | Alco 251-B, 16 cylinder Cylinder (engine) A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work... , 2,600 hp Horsepower Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the... (2,430 hp site rating) with Alco 710/720/?? turbo supercharged engine. 1,000 rpm max, 400 rpm idle; 228 mm x 266 mm bore/stroke; compression ratio 12.5:1. Direct fuel injection, centrifugal pump cooling system (2,457 l/min at 1,000 rpm), fan driven by eddy current clutch (86 hp at 1,000 rpm) |
| Governor | GE General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... 17MG8 / Woodwards 8574-650 / Medha MEG 601 |
| Transmission | Electric, with BHEL TG 10931 AZ generator (1,000 rpm, 770 V, 4,520 amperes) |
| Traction motor Traction motor Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion .... s |
GE752 (original Alco models) (405 hp), BHEL 4906 BZ (AZ?) (435 hp) and (newer) 4907 AZ (with roller bearings) |
| Axle load Axle load The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle... |
18.8 tonnes, total weight 112.8 t |
| Bogie Bogie A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar... s |
Alco design cast frame trimount (Co-Co) bogies |
| Starting TE | 30.4 t, at adhesion 27% |
| Length over buffer beams | 15,862 mm |
| Distance between bogies | 10,516 mm |
See also
- Indian RailwaysIndian RailwaysIndian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
- Indian LocomotivesIndian locomotivesLocomotives in India consist of electric and diesel locomotives. Steam locomotives are no longer used, except in heritage trains. Locomotives are also called locos or engines....
- Indian locomotive class WDP-4EMD GT46PACThe EMD GT46PAC is a passenger-hauling diesel-electric locomotive with AC electric transmission designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and built by both GM-EMD and under license by Diesel Locomotive Works of Varanasi, India for Indian Railways as their classes WDP-4, WDP-4B and WDP-4D...
- Indian locomotive WDG-4EMD GT46MACThe EMD GT46MAC is a freight-hauling diesel-electric locomotive with AC electric transmission built by General Motors Electro-Motive Divisionin 1997–1998 for Indian Railways, where they are classed as WDG-4....
- Indian locomotive class WAP-4Indian locomotive class WAP-4WAP-4 is one of the most important electric locomotives used in India. It is a very powerful class capable of hauling 26 coaches at a speed of 140 km/h...
- Indian locomotive class WAP-5Indian locomotive class WAP-5WAP 5 is the name of a class of electric locomotive used by Indian Railways. The first 10 locomotives were imported from ABB in Switzerland in 1995. They are supposed to be a variant of the Lok 2000. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works started production in 2000. It was designed to haul 18 coach...
- Indian locomotive class WAP-7Indian locomotive class WAP-7WAP 7 is a high speed locomotive indigenously developed by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works. It is capable of hauling trains at speeds ranging between 140 and 160 km per hour and is now largely used by Northern Railways , South Central Railways , South Western Railway and Southern Railways .-...
- Indian locomotive class WAG-9Indian locomotive class WAG-9WAG-9 is the name of a type of electric locomotive used in India. Homed mainly at Gomoh, Ajni,Lallaguda,Tughlakabad and Bhilai, it is currently the most powerful locomotive in Indian Railways' fleet. It is very similar to the class WAP-7; The only difference being the gear ratio which makes it...